Google Social Search - Live Today!

As you know I rarely blog, but when I do, its usually because I am excited about something NEW! Today we have a new search feature in Google Search that allows you to get input from your friends and followers on the social media sites you subscribe to (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace...etc.). I will keep this blog post brief, and refer you to a link below on YouTube that really gives you a better idea of how this new search feature helps you.


GOOGLE SEARCH VIDEO

Article on Retailers, Twitter and the Holiday Season, a "Must Read"!

It has been a while since I blogged for my business. I admit, long blogging (if that is a term) is not my thing. As an extremely busy Mom/Entrepreneur I find that the micro blogging (Twitter and Facebook) appeal to my time constraints and ADD brain more. However, I was sent by a colleague of mine this wonderful article on Twitter and The Holiday Retail Season, that I thought would benefit others to read.

Click here for the article: "More Retailers Turn to Twitter for Marketing this Holiday"

Twitter vs. Email - True Story

Recently a client of mine finally (with my help) found her way to twitter. I have spent many hours consulting with her and training her on the fine points of be a successful social networker. Tonight as we were at local business mixer I heard her lecturing someone on needing their email address on their business card. He of course wasn't going for it, he thought that having just his website address on his card was plenty and would drive traffic to his website. So they pulled me into their debate about the email address on the card - who was right? neither really.

I asked the gentleman if he knew what Facebook or Twitter was, he did and he had a Facebook account. My client proudly exclaimed to that she had a twitter account. I quickly pointed out to them that they will begin to notice that their networking contacts will (even with knowing their email address) would primarily be contacting them through social media accounts. My client then admitted that had just happened to her last night. She had saw someone's tweet that she wanted to respond to, so she visited the website for the "Tweeter" that she wanted to contact to introduce herself and comment to him on his "tweet". Immediately after having sent that email to him, he sent her a tweet about her email! LOL! No kidding! He did not email her back, he sent her a tweet!

Hiring a Social Media Network/Internet Marketing Consultant?

I know, this sounds odd, but a new career has evolved in just this past few months on the internet. Companies, large and small are looking to the internet to market themselves beyond their website presence. Yes, you still need a website, but now you need someone to help you market yourself and your website on the internet. Recently I have seen another Social Media Expert take the stage in our Northern California Wine Country at a winery as their "Social Media Director". He has a video on YouTube announcing his new career to his friends and making the offer for them to come and tour the winery he will be tweeting, facebooking and blogging about.

So are companies really hiring such an expert just for their Social Media and Internet Marketing campaigns? YES! If you are one of my friends, colleages or clients you already have learned from me the benefits of having a designated employee or consultant to help you with your Internet Marketing. If you are just reading this blog and haven't heard or seen what Social Media Networking and other Internet Marketing campaigns can do for your business, then you need to call, tweet, facebook or email me!

KK

PayPerTweet - Ghost Tweeting and more..

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables individuals and businesses to expand their influence and stay connected with people in real-time. It reveals trends. It's faster than the news media and blogs, and, with a 140 character limit, it cuts to the chase. And it's growing like crazy.

Get a Twitter account today for yourself or your brand. I can help. Here's how to build an effective "twitter" and marketing presence on the web your "twitter" account needs to build on these three tasks:

1. Develop “followers” - the audience of people interested in what we have to say. These include people considering what you offer and perhaps just as important, people, like niche market writers and bloggers who perpetuate your messaging through the culture of tweeting (twittering). If you have no “followers” you are basically shouting out on a street corner to anybody passing by. So developing a good audience is just as important as what you say to them. My intention is to build a quality following audience for you that can be measured.
2. Daily “Tweeting-Twittering” posting. I have found it is effective to post “tweets” throughout the day. In a perfect world about 1 every other hour in a 12 hour span of the day - or about 6-8 tweets a day. In many cases that would mean messaging about your business and the products, services and customers you represent.
3. Answering Questions and Customer Service. Many businesses use "twitter" as a customer service portal where they can answer questions from customers and prospects as well as handle customer service issues in an expedient manner. I can help manage your customer issues by giving prompt response and assurance to your customers issues via "twitter". Thus increasing your customer retention.
   

There is no long term contract to get started. I charge only a monthly flat fee or an ala carte -"PayPerTweet" to do all of the above for you and more...

• Build an audience
• Create a daily Twitter Stream
• Answer questions and pass along customer service queries to your office or the provider office in question for swift response

Imagine having a Twitter account populated with fans and followers, without having to lift a finger! I will hand-pick followers who can benefit from your offerings, all-the-while providing quality "tweets" in a transparent manner.

Too busy to tweet? Not sure what to say? Let me do the tweeting for you. I will update your account regularly with tweets that capture your energy and personality.

Get more leads, more sales, and more awareness for yourself, your organization or business - for as little as $25. Provide new and better services to your clients. Discover the amazing possibilities when you contact me kerilyn @kkswebs. com visit me on the web at http://www.kkswebs.com and follow me on "twitter" @klafournaise

Please Explain Twitter to Me? Why Do People Use it?

In another bog post series of "Twitter" this question came from one of my Facebook friends:

Keri -- PLEASE explain Twitter to me. I honestly don't know why people use it. What's the point?? And who twitters back? People you know? Or just random people who read your "tweet"?

Great question! It is an acquired taste of Social Media. Becoming more and more a "Marketing Media". I have to admit at first I didn't get it and really wasn't into using twitter until various clients (and potential clients) of mine started asking more persistent questions about this avenue of Marketing for their business and websites. As a web developer, I get a lot of questions from clients about SEO (site engine optimization). Many of them are confused about what that is and think that Social Media's, such as FB and Twitter will help them. In some aspects it will help, but I think they get it all confused with what it really should be called for how they want it used; SEM (Site Engine Marketing).

Twitter now days is used as great "business marketing" tool. One reason I use it for myself and for my clients. I have clients that are deathly afraid of internet, but know it is vital to their business growth, so it is a service I provide to them. I even twitter for some of my clients.

Who Twitters back? people who want to answer my questions and comments I put out on twitter. Just like on FB your status line of 140 characters you can say or ask anything that is on your mind. Like on FB people see your "tweet" status and comment back.

Who comments back... random people? yes, anyone can see your tweets unless you lock your account. Majority of twitter users are there for self promotion and marketing reasons' so having a locked account really serves no purpose. May as well stay on Facebook then. Unlike Facebook, you can create a pseudo identity. You don't have to be Elaine, you can be ProfessorGirl2 (for example). People who followed me in the beginning were mainly a few friends that I knew on twitter (like my husband and my clients) and other web developers/designers. Our main exchange was about our craft. Then Barack Obama ran for President... that set off a whole new sett if followers for me as I tweeted about my support for him. From there I also I used my power of twitter to ask for things that our Community Pantry needed. People saw my tweets and responded favorably and helped our Pantry. One notable example is Gov. Schwarzenegger had a staff member send the pantry a bunch of Hams for our Easter Food Drive, because his staff saw my tweets. I publicly thanked the Gov. on twitter... from there I started getting more political and News Staff type of followers. Today I have nearly 700 people who follow me on twitter.

My tweet experience with the Governor as random as it seemed at first, was within a couple of weeks not so random. As I tweeted out for my client that she told a story about him on her show this week and that I thought he should listen. Within minutes I was contacted back through twitter by his media person asking me for the link to my client's show. I achieved for my client exactly why we were on twitter. Attention to her show!

As Web Developer and Internet Marketing Consultant, yes it would make sense why I use "social media" like "Twitter". Why would would you use it "E"? As a Home Educator, I have an established network of other educators that I follow and who follow me. When I don't understand some Chemistry problem Joseph is working on, I tweet it and they all respond with how they teach the solutions. I also see a Sociology Professor and couple of Psychologist have been following me lately... ??? They tell me they are on twitter for observation of social behavior (I must be really interesting material for them!) so they tell me I won't see them tweet much, but asked me to allow them to follow and observe.

I have a good friend (and client) who has been writing a really good blog about twitter and how to use it: http://only2degrees.wordpress.com/ if you ever decide you do want to learn it and make it work well for you.

Again, I have to say twitter is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you ever need to get something out quick on the internet, this would be the way to do it!

I hope this helps answer your questions. If you have more, I will be happy to answer those too. Thank you "E", for asking what twitter is :-)

Kerilyn

Why aren't you on twitter yet?

I received a question the other day from my good friend Hal at Cemetery Spot about how he could better rank himself on the internet search engines. (Hal happens to be one of my followers on twitter.) I told Hal, "your already on the right track! Your on twitter!" one peace of advice I have Hal was to make sure that when he tweets about his businesses, to make the text entry short, so that he can include his entire URL (http://www.cemetaryspot.com) in his post. Hal usually uses tinyurl.com to shorten his web addresses. If you want Google Bots and web crawlers to see your URL on twitter or other sites, best to put the whole address in your post.

There are many other good social and business networking reasons for being on twitter also. I will try to highlight those reasons over the next month in my blog posts. If you have questions, need help getting on twitter or want specific social media training to help boost your market potential, please call or email me!

Thanks Hal for the great questions! Hope you get more traffic!

KK
http://www.kkswebs.com
kerilyn @ kkswebs.com
951.693.9229